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Top reviews from the United States

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MJ

Boilerplate Anne Rice - lots of style, lacking substance

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2017

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There is a good novel that could have come from the outlined bullet points of this book. Merrick is a powerful witch in new Orleans who is related to the Mayfair family and is a member of the Talamasca. She is very good at contacting the dead. She knows David the vampire from his days in the Talamasca. Angsty, sensitive Louis wants to contact his long lost Claudia to be sure she is at peace. Gentlemanly, shrewd David somewhat reluctantly brings these two people from his two different worlds together to help Louis get over this obsession. Lestat is asleep for some reason. And Merrick may have her own agenda during all of this....

For those who have read the vampire chronicles and the Mayfair witch books, this could have been a fun and interesting off-shoot. And it is not terrible as a book, it just kind of falls flat. Nothing new or very interesting happens. Merrick is kept too mysterious to really flesh out as a character. There is a lot of flowery description of New Orleans and seductive hips and bosoms and skirts and long tapering fingers and stuff. Which is a given with any Anne Rice novel whether you like it or not, but this one has too much description and not enough plot. Things speed up and get a bit interesting in the final chapters.

Basically a middle-of-the-road Anne Rice Novel

Torie Inman

One of m all time favorites

Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2014

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The beginning of the story David tells of how he knew of Merrick's powers and abilities to Louis. Also about how much David care for Merrick. Louis is deeply tormented with thoughts that is beloved Claudia might not be at peace.

Finally after David finished the story Louis get to meet Merrick. Louis and Merrick are taken with each other. Merrick agrees to do the spell to bring forth the spirit of Claudia. What will happen when Claudia comes forth? Will she confirm Louis' fear that she is not at peace or will she be at peace? What will be the consequences of the magic? Will anyone of our beloved characters be killed or hurt? What will happen to Merrick?

I love, love, love this book. It is one of my all time favorites and it is the book that got be started on my love of vampires. If you love books about witches, spirits, and vampires I would recommend you read this series. To fully understand Claudia you need to read Interview With A Vampire.

One last note. Anne Rice's vampires are different from any other vampire books I have ever read.(and I have read tons of vampire books) I love them!! They are the standard that I measure all other vampire books by. These books are romantic in a different level. The vampires are passionate but not in the sense of paranormal romance (and I love a good paranormal romance). They don't mate but they do stick together.

NemGevalt

Some parts are worth more than the whole.

Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2017

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There's a story here, but it isn't (spoiler) the tale of how a Mayfair witch became a vampire. Not is it the story of Louis's "sort of" redemption from his guilt about his unnatural daughter and eventual vampire lover Claudia, and his rebirth into a new vampire family. That's nominally what the narrative builds toward. You could say there's very little action, what there is is mostly in flashback.

But action is not what makes up this book's pleasures. I got the sense that Anne Rice wanted to share the smells and textures and that special rich atmosphere that had enchanted her about parts of New Orleans that possibly no longer exist, and she wanted the pleasure of sharing her observation of some real life people she loved to watch in life. So she came up with an excuse, some side plot lines, to allow her to indulge herself. I, for one, am grateful she did. I just wish she didn't have to tie it with the story of Lestat, and instead spent more time observing Merrick and her close family through the centuries.

Kim Iverson

Lyrical quality

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2014

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I always love any book I read from Anne Rice. I read this one expecting it to follow along with the Mayfair Witches. Being that Merrick IS from the Mayfair family. This is based more on the Lestat and Louis storyline it seems, with Merrick as a main feature. Sort of a convergence. The first-person POV I had to get used to. Whenever I read it long enough though, I found myself getting lost in the lyrical quality of the writing, as Anne Rice is great at. This is a great book to read maybe after you've gone through the Mayfair series and the Lestat series. Then you converge into this book at the right place. Since I haven't read the Lestat books, I was a bit lost. Seen the Interview with the Vampire movie, but as anyone can tell you, that's a different story entirely. So I knew of Louis and Lestat, not so much the rest of it. Left me a bit lost, but that was fine by me. Great story, great book. Now it makes me want to read the Mayfair Witches all over again!

Top reviews from other countries

Miketang

Merrick

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2013

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Good points: the usual Anne Rice talent for atmosphere (especially historical or weird atmosphere); fast-paced adventure that can make for a real page-turner; fascinating knowledge of ancient cultures and magic rituals; good plot line and variety. Like others, I find the mixture of witches and vampires makes for a refreshing change.

Not so good: for me she tanks on romance and "love interest", veering into sentimentality that's just not believable - l suppose it appeals to some but not to me (imo her treatment of gay attachments tends to be more credible); in this novel the transformation of the title character in Eliza Doolittle fashion by the Talamasca is cliche verging on the risible. It may appeal to those identifying with her of a narcissistic bent. From impoverished, neglected waif to brilliant scholar of "perfect Greek" and ability to speak conversational Latin in 4 years? but not without weaknesses such as a liking for the bottle (no goody-two-shoes she!) come on, Anne: in your dreams.

The original quest of Louis for Claudia also gets lost in the jungle before re-emerging towards the end almost as an after-thought. And then.....after all that, it seems to lead to a dead end as far as Louis and Claudia go. But still, an engrossing read; her pluses far outweigh her minuses for those on the same, offbeat wavelength.

Laura

Average book in the Vampire Chronicles

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2018

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I don't know if I'm the only one who finds David Talbot really boring, but I just couldn't get into this book properly until more or less the end.

KatieKate

Thoroughly Enjoyable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 26, 2015

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A great read and continues the vampire tales well. I really enjoyed the ending and opens up a new adventure for the vampires. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has been reading Anne Rice's chronicles.

PamW

Merrick (Anne Rice)

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 2, 2020

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Extremely pleased with this audiobook and delivery was very prompt.

sharon clark

Anne Rice sequence

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 30, 2020

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Great read